H&S

Discuss this page on the Cyprus: the Environment Forum, open to all!

Something you don't understand? Look it up on the Environment and Energy Wiki Encyclopaedia (beta version)

The Environment and Energy Portal is now operational

This site is now obsolescent and has been superseded by
Cyprus Environment and Energy (2008)
Please bookmark or make favourite the new site!

I believe that Health and Safety is rather on a back burner in Cyprus. Look at any of the many house construction sites and count the hard hats you see on the workers. I'll grant you that wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) is uncomfortable in hot weather, but so (or worse) is being hit on the head by a falling brick!

I don't have any specific knowledge on the subject, other than my observations. Reliable statistics on industrial accidents are not easy to find, if possible. Most of the Eurostat figures relate to EU15, with only indices available for work accidents in EU25. These indicate an alarming situation with the number of accidents per thousand employees involving at least 3 days absence from work increasing by 12 per cent between 1999 and 2001, particularly amongst female labour, which rose by an astounding 23 per cent. By comparison, the average throughout EU25 for the same period was an overall fall of 6 percent overall and a slight drop of 1 per cent for female workers. In the USA, over the same period, the figures are respectively down by 7 and 5 per cent. This would imply that all was not well with the implementation of industrial health and safety in Cyprus during those years. From experience, I know that such implementation is often a long, slow, process, so it is probable that things have not greatly improved since 2001.

Although I have not been personally involved in EHS audits in Cyprus, I have done so in countries at a similar level of industrial development, so these figures are not altogether surprising. It would therefore not be out of place to extrapolate that the handling of hazardous chemicals in industrial processes (e.g., ventilation, PPE, first aid facilities) may be sub-standard, particularly in SMEs.

I can quote one case of chemical negligence. The usual solvent used for dry cleaning garments is perchloroethylene. This has an odour threshold of 27 ppm, meaning that this is the average level of concentration in the workplace that people can detect it by odour when coming into the room. The time-weighted average operator exposure level for 8 hours exposure, 5 days per week, is set differently in different countries but many of them set it at 25 ppm (not detectable by odour) or 50 ppm (just detectable). On occasions that I have visited three different dry-cleaning shops, only one (unfortunately now closed down) was odour-free. The other two had levels that I would estimate from experience as well over even the most permissive standards. This chemical is known to have severe cumulative effects from over-exposure and the health of the workers in these establishments is definitely at risk. Worse still, during one visit, one of the staff was visibly pregnant; she was engaged in pressing clothes that had come out of the machine while still containing some solvent!

I've also seen farmers and professional horticulturists crop spraying without any PPE or, at the best, a dust mask that, of course, is totally useless against chemical vapours. A popular pesticide in this country is DuPont's Lannate® (Methomyl), which is a broad spectrum insecticide. The MSDS includes such warnings as:

"Based on animal data, eye contact with Lannate LV may cause severe eye irritation with discomfort, tearing, or blurring of vision. Prolonged contact may cause eye corrosion or ulceration. Based on animal data, skin contact with Lannate LV may cause irritation with itching, burning, redness, swelling or rash.

"Short-term overexposure by inhalation may cause non-specific effects such as headache, nausea and weakness, and irritation of the upper respiratory passages with coughing and discomfort. Skin, eye, inhalation or ingestion exposure to Methomyl may cause acute cholinesterase depression characterized by nonspecific discomfort, such as nausea, headache, weakness, cramps, excessive sweating, salivation and tearing, constricted pupils, blurred vision; muscle twitching, and confusion. Higher exposures may lead to loss of consciousness; or convulsions and severe respiratory depression."

Unfortunately, this same product has also been used in poisoned bait by some unscrupulous persons to eliminate cats and dogs, leading to a long and painful death, unless atropine is rapidly administered. There are frequent newspaper reports of this. Yet people, using it for legitimate purposes, do so with no more protection than ordinary working clothes.

Apart from industry, this extends right down to household level. Many times I've observed people strimming weeds or using a chain saw in their gardens dressed only in a pair of shorts and sandals: no face mask, ear protection (with a two-stoke motor screaming 30 cm from their ears), no foot or leg protection. I've done both operations. On more than one occasion my face mask has been violently hit by flying pebbles while strimming; any of these hitting the eye would, at the best, have been very painful, possibly worse.

If there is one sector that the EU is tough about, it is EHS. Yet it would appear that there is probably considerable room for improvement here, in this country.

Discuss anything related to this page at this forum.

The opinions on this site are personal and do not necessarily reflect those of any third party. All information is given in good faith but no responsibility is taken for such information; any person or organisation using such information should ascertain that it is suitable for his/her/their conditions of use.

No reproduction of the contents of part or the whole of this site may be made in any form without the written permission of the owner. An exception is made that a print-out may be made for one individual's private use without seeking permission; it is forbidden to make multiple copies or to photocopy a print-out. Links may be made to this site.